Life as a Senior Architect

Simon is a Senior Architect in the software engineering team. He has worked at Skyscanner for 4 years, focusing on .NET and web technologies.

What role do you perform at Skyscanner?

As an architect I help to define how new projects will be developed and what tools will be employed. I also spend a fair amount of time evaluating and prototyping with new technologies and ensuring that they are adopted in a consistent fashion across the organisation.

Following the architectural career path in Skyscanner allows me to stay 100% technical while still growing within the company.

What technologies do you use?

My background is primarily in .NET and web development and I have worked on many aspects of the Skyscanner stack. These days I mostly focus on the back-end services that deliver the data that drives our website and mobile apps.
Do you have a typical day?

It can vary a lot. Sometimes I will spend a lot of time in meetings or writing documentation, especially when a project is getting off the ground. Other times though I will be more hands-on, writing code and helping with the day-to-day delivery of a project.
What is the most challenging part of your job?

Trying to come up with solutions that satisfy the requirements of all the different stakeholders on a project. Add into the mix resourcing and technical constraints and it can be a really challenging sometimes.
What do you enjoy the most?

I still enjoy coding and investigating how new technologies and development practices can help to solve specific problems. I also love seeing the positive impact of projects that I have worked on when they go live – it can be exhilarating to think that your code is helping millions of user to find what they are looking for.
Are you involved with Skyscanner University?

I’ve been involved in developing and teaching C# courses with Skyscanner University. It’s been a very enjoyable experience and teaching someone else is a great way to hone your own skills.